On November 8, word broke that Ridley Scottplanned to re-shoot several scenes in his upcoming fact-based hostage thriller, All the Money in the World, in order to excise the scandal-plagued Kevin Spacey from the film—even though Scott still intends to release the movie December 22. Less than a week later, even the actor replacing Spacey—Christopher Plummer—is still reeling from the news.

The sudden swap and race against time is a welcome challenge for Plummer, he said—but the veteran actor also feels “awfully sad” for Spacey, given the snowballing sexual-misconduct allegations against the House of Cards star.

“I think it’s very sad what happened to him. Kevin is such a talented and a terrifically gifted actor, and it’s so sad. It’s such a shame,” Plummer told Vanity Fair at the premiere of his latest film, The Man Who Invented Christmas, in New York on Sunday. “That’s all I can say, because that’s it.”

Plummer, who turns 88 a week before the release of All the Money, said he received a call from Scott offering him the part last week. The Sound of Music star did not have trepidation in taking on the role of billionaire J. Paul Getty, he said, despite the circumstances.

“It’s really not replacing him [Spacey]—it’s starting all over again. Although the situation is very sad,” said Plummer. “I’m very saddened by what happened to Kevin, but what can I do? I’ve got a role. I admire Ridley Scott and I’m thrilled to be making a movie for him. And so I thought, that was it. Ages ago I was in contention for [the role], way back. So I was familiar with it, and then Ridley came to me and I agreed. I wanted to work with him. He’s very good. I loved the script. The script is wonderful.”

The Oscar winner said he has not spoken with Spacey since the switch went public. Plummer did reveal that he begins re-shoots on Nov. 20, and will be shooting for about 10 days straight in Rome and London. “It’s going to be tough, but it’s exciting. It’s worth getting a go,” he said. “I’m used to big roles and lots of words.”

The legendary actor is ready for the grueling schedule and the daunting task ahead. He has already begun memorizing his lines, and studies the film’s script whenever he has any downtime during his press tour for The Man Who Invented Christmas, which opens in theaters on Nov. 22. “I have to start because I don’t have a day off,” he said with a laugh.

Plummer also confirmed that some of his scenes will involve Mark Wahlberg, who plays J. Paul Getty’s lawyer, and Michelle Williams, the mother of kidnapped John Paul Getty III.

“They stayed and agreed to do it all over again,” he said. “It’s remarkable. All of this is remarkable.”